There are fifty different states in the United States of America. Each one has its history and was important in forming our country; this includes Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania started out as just another region of land waiting to be discovered. Like the rest of America, this state has a tremendous amount of history behind it. From the Native Americans to Europeans to being one of the original thirteen colonies, how Pennsylvania helped to shape America is a story waiting to be told. Pennsylvania was more than just one state that contributed to the making of a nation; instead, it could have the “deciding factor” in the way America was shaped. As Professor Evan Haefeli has said, “perhaps Pennsylvania made the difference”. Pennsylvania and its government …show more content…
If it wasn’t for these events, William Penn never would have founded “Penn’s woods”. William Penn was an English Quaker whose father was owed a return of a loan by King Charles II of England. “Quaker” was Penn’s religion. His father had died though, so the gift was to be given to him. This debt was settled when Charles granted William Penn an area of land southwest of modern-day New Jersey known today as Pennsylvania. When America was starting out, Pennsylvania was one of the original thirteen colonies, the twelfth. December twelfth of 1787 was the official day that Pennsylvania became a state. William Penn created this to be a “haven for Quakers” though this is not the same today. Though William Penn was a Quaker and came up with the proposal of the Holy Experiment, an area for William Penn “to put into practice all his Quaker ideals” (Quakers in the World), the basic principles of a democracy were adopted into the Pennsylvanian government and Philadelphia served as the nation’s capital from the years of 1790 until …show more content…
A democracy, also known as an elective government, is a system of government in which the whole population has a right to vote and help to make decisions for a country. Pennsylvania aides in a lot of things today, including lawmaking. Each state has a governor that can decline certain things that the people want, like the president. But what has been, and still is, allowed in the state of Pennsylvania has helped in making our country better and better. In most presidential elections, Pennsylvania is one of the crucial states that could be the deciding factor in who leads our country next. If it wasn’t for the Keystone State, certain things throughout American history, good and bad, never would have taken
Unlike Winthrop who called for shared cooperation, Penn upheld liberty of conscience and affirmed that no entity has the authority to rule over one’s consciousness. Specifically writing the law, “That, in all courts all persons of all persuasions may freely appear in their own way, and according to their own manners and there personally plead their own cause themselves” (Frame of Government of Pennsylvania). Certainly, he understood the individual’s right to his own thinking, even going as far as entrusting them to advocate for themselves in the court of law. Further, religious liberty also took root in
I believe colonial New England had more of an effect on the American character than Virginia for several reasons. First they promoted more of the values that have transcended into modern day America such as religious toleration, their educational ideas and their focus on the importance of family. And we shouldn’t forget the fact that the American Revolution began in New England so in essence the America we know today would not exist without New England.
Delaware, also known as the “breadbasket colony” for its mass production of wheat, was founded in 1636 by Peter Minuit and the New Sweden Company. Named after the Delaware River, whose roots derived from Sir Thomas West, Virginia Company’s first governor, the colony of Delaware was originally named New Sweden as an unsuccessful attempt by the Swedes to found a brand new colony in the New World. From the very start of its colonization, New Sweden was lacking manpower in a mere 10 years, but slowly developed into an agricultural hotspot. A multitude of natural resources such as timber, furs, coal, and iron ore, which were usually exported back to England for a trade, were plentiful in the colony and an important aspect of the Delaware economy.
America’s form of representative democracy came as a result of the transgressions Britain committed against their colonies. Several hundred years of salutary neglect served well for those living an ocean away from their motherland. Realizing the prosperity that colonies had obtained through a semi-free market society, the King of England and the parliament began enacting many taxes and acts. Taking away the colonies freedom was unsettling amongst the colonists and eventually led to a revolution. This revolution secured freedom from Britain as well as founded a new nation with the first ever constitution. Although the process to achieve democracy in America was a long, laborious road the freedom, prosperity and equality of opportunity shared by those amongst the states could not be denied.
What Really transformed the country was the ability to move products across great distances and the Erie Canal was a huge turning point for economic growth in America. Opened in 1825, The Erie Canal was the engineering breakthrough of the nineteenth century: Its Four waterways would connect manufacturing and eastern ports with the rest of the country. Farmers could now ship their goods, they can move out, come down the Hudson river and this way of commute became a part of a global economy. This Moment would bring about the thought of expansion which will become the fuse to enormous economic growth that will ultimately in the next century, becomes the Belief of manifest destiny. The nation that both reflected the pride which reflected American nationalism, And the idealistic image of social perfection through god and the church caused the nation to separate. As many people will support it, several will oppose
America was expanding at such a rapid pace that those who were in America before us had no time to anticipate what was happening. This change in lifestyle affected not only Americans, but everyone who lived in the land. Changing traditions, the get rich quick idea and other things were the leading causes of westward expansion. But whatever happened to those who were caught in the middle, those who were here before us? One of those many who roamed the land before Americans decided that they owned it were the Native Americans.
There have been many discoveries that have shaped our nation as a whole. Discoveries have allowed our country to thrive and become one of the most powerful nations in the world. When we look back at our nation's rich history, it is clear to see that there was one discovery in particular that had a vast impact on the United States; the discovery was gold in California. It was in this vastly unoccupied territory that the American dream was forever changed and California emerged as a powerful state busting at the seams. The California Gold Rush shaped California into the state that it is today. California is defined by its promise of entrepreneurial success and its acceptance and encouragement of obtaining the American Dream.
William Penn was generally known as the Quaker leader who founded Pennsylvania. Penn’s achievements were far greater than just the founding of a colony. He had commitment, spirit and love for the Quakers and in turn, spent his whole life trying to get others to see the good in Quakerism and create tolerance for his religion.
...ter returning from a trip to England, however, Penn found that a Quaker had been embezzling money. After a brief argument and difficulty, the problem was settled.
During the late 16th century and into the 17th century, European nations rapidly colonized the newly discovered Americas. England in particular sent out numerous groups to the eastern coast of North America to two regions. These two regions were known as the Chesapeake and the New England areas. Later, in the late 1700's, these two areas would bond to become one nation. Yet from the very beginnings, both had very separate and unique identities. These differences, though very numerous, spurred from one major factor: the very reason the settlers came to the New World. This affected the colonies in literally every way, including economically, socially, and politically.
Due to the fact that Pennsylvania was liberal, it helped it in politics, religion, and with ethnic ties. Pennsylvania had a representative assembly, voted by landowners. The colonists had freedom of worship and a "no tax-supported church". The rich mix of ethnic groups helped the colonists learn more about other cultures and also helped to bring forth new traditions. Therefore, liberation helped gain strength in the political, religious, and ethnic ties in Pennsylvania.
Native Americans chose to live off the land such as animals and the trees for houses from the time of early civilization in the Americas to when Christopher Columbus sailed across the Atlantic. In Thomas Morton’s writing he said “they gather poles in the woods and put eh great end of them in the ground, placing them in form of a circle.”
Many people today know the story of the Indians that were native to this land, before “white men” came to live on this continent. Few people may know that white men pushed them to the west while many immigrants took over the east and moved westward. White men made “reservations” that were basically land that Indians were promised they could live on and run. What many Americans don’t know is what the Indians struggled though and continue to struggle through on the reservations.
The Quakers, also known as the Society of Friends was religious group that founded Pennsylvania. William Penn, one of the leaders, worked with the Quakers, Indians and the other population to make an ideal world for him, his followers, and the other people in his environment. With his efforts, and the help of others, the Quakers left a huge impact on Pennsylvania and the entire nation.
When asked the question "how do I fit into Philadelphia history?" I find it difficult to answer. To learn about a country can be simple or complicated depending on the topic that one approach it from. If I were to place myself my present self in the past when Philadelphia was just starting out I will most likely be a house servant, in another word a house slave. But if I were to place myself into the future as I am now, the Philadelphia that I envision will probably be different from its past and the present. The history of Philadelphia from my standpoint is complicated in a comprehensive manner, from how the city was started to what it is today. In 1681 William Penn received Philadelphia from King Charles the second and Thomas Holmes designed